Eco-Touring by Charter Yacht in the Virgin Islands

What in the World???

.....An adventure unlike any other.....

"Eco-touring by Charter Yacht in the world famous 
Virgin Islands"

Why charter in the Virgin Islands? The US and British Virgin Islands are recognized as two of the very best sailing and yachting destinations in the world.  This Caribbean archipelago sports more than 60 islands and cays, populated and unpopulated. With countless places to anchor or moor, the close proximity to other islands and reliably spectacular Caribbean weather is it any wonder that when one thinks of a yachting vacation these islands simply pop to the front of the mind? Few travel destinations in the world offer so much to see and do in such a small geographic area for all ages and interests as the Virgin Islands. And you can easily go from one to the other in less time than you can walk to the corner convenience store. Over the hundreds of years since Columbus encountered the Virgin Islands in 1493, these islands have been planted, plundered, pillaged and populated...at one point, with fierce Pirates...ARRRGH! The very channel separating various islands in the British Virgin Islands is in fact named for the flamboyant darling of Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Francis Drake, perhaps the greatest pirate of them all. And it is this well protected channel which makes for modern day smooth sailing and motor yachting even if it might be boisterous outside. Major open water crossings are a non-issue. Imagine...every night, a different cove to explore with pure white sand beaches, another glorious sundown viewed from your favorite spot on deck and yet another gourmet meal with all the trimmings created especially for you. You set your own schedule...it’s entirely your vacation.  So, grab your eye patch, peg leg and parrot—get ready to explore the Land and Waters of the Pirates.  Just be sure to obey the Pirate's Rules!! The Nature of the Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands are located at Latitude 18, Longitude 64 or approximately 1500 miles southeast of New York City and just 50 miles East of Puerto Rico. Volcanic in origin, these rocky green scrubby islands rise dramatically from the sea creating a natural Northern boundary for the Caribbean Sea and a Southern boundary for the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. There are miles of hiking trails, historical landmarks and crumbling sugar mill ruins from the cane plantation days. An energizing hike can bring you to the tops of hills where you’ll think you can see forever. On these islands you might find some rare small lizards, iguanas, many colorful butterflies and flowers, several on the endangered species list. One notable exception is the picturesque, very flat island of Anegada, BVI. It is a coral atoll and not to be missed for your eco-touring adventure. More on that locale another time.    At certain times of the year, various colorful trees bloom: The flame-orange heavy canopied  flamboyant and the wild and fragrant native frangipani among many others give quite a show. Whole hillsides glow bright orange splashed with speckles of white. Wild Frangipani (plumeria) Flamboyant (Royal Poinciana) Some of the older spiny century plants decide it’s time in the Spring to produce an enormous spike from their centers which quickly becomes a “tree” of yellow puffy flowers to decorate the hillsides in great numbers.  They will be mobbed by hungry honeybees, the local bananaquit aka "sugar bird" and hummingbirds grabbing a meal of the nectar and pollen.  They evolve and die after about a week and then they become Christmas Trees! Some well over 20’ tall. Yes, the islanders and boaters have been using these “skeletons” for generations.  They make a fine Christmas tree and you will see some yachts carrying them on their decks decorated to the hilt! More things to do and see..... If you’re lucky, after dark, a hawk moth might come to visit you in the lights of your cockpit relaxation area.  The moth is so large, on first glance you might think a bat has flown into your area! But, no, it’s just this very large, rather drab brown moth who thinks you might be a night blooming flower to sip from! This is the adult form of the colorful frangipani caterpillar which can grow up to 5" long. It can strip a tree in less than one day. But never fear, the tree comes back even more beautiful than before.  Birders will be treated to the sight of red billed tropic birds (in season), brown boobies, pelicans, various egret and herons, all the tropical terns in your birding book, small finches, the ubiquitous sugar eating bananaquit, various species of hummingbirds, magnificent frigatebirds AKA “The Pirates of the Air”, oystercatchers, night herons and on and on.  The Virgin Islands provide generally great exploring for all interests natural. Bananaquit aka "Sugar Bird" Before “civilized” man populated these islands, there was known to be two indigenous mammals: A rodent about the size of a possum, and an insect-eating mammal looking a little bit like a very small anteater. These species have long gone extinct. The only present-day native species of mammal is bats (possibly 6 species), though rats and mongoose have taken up residence due to man’s incursions. ____________________________________________________ While on your charter, you might be interested in feeding your own bats! Yes, after dark, in many coves you might be treated to the sight of a bat flickering in and out of your vision on the water’s surface. You are seeing the fishing bat.  Fishing Bat in the US and British Virgin Islands Ask your chef to give you some bread, cast it on the water and sit back to watch the show. These bats do not eat bread but the little fish which are their only prey do...These bats are extreme specialists in detecting even the smallest fish ripple on the surface of a usually wind roiled water surface. Only they know how they can do this, and they aren’t talking. The bread will attract the fishies and the fishies attract the bats.  I have known of several charter clients who have captured this wonder on camera! And please don’t worry...they won’t get in your hair! They know exactly where you are and where they are. Ne’er the ‘twain shall meet. _______________________________________________ The beaches are made of……WHAT?  The myriad beaches are a blinding eye-squinting color of white...We can thank our parrotfish friends for creating these beaches. Parrotfish love to dine on algae which tends to accumulate on coral. Of course, when they scrape the coral, they will take in some of the hard skeleton of the coral itself which serves to keep the coral clean. Then, later, well, you know.   Yes, the make up of the fine white sand is largely due to the colorful parrotfish and its poo!  You can tip your snorkel to them for providing you with the sugary beauty of this sand. And then, there are the "pajamas" !  Yes, every night, certain species of parrot fish envelope themselves in a transparent "pajama" cocoon made of mucous secreted from an organ on their head. Scientists think the cocoon masks their scent, making them harder for nocturnal predators, like moray eels, to find. Ask your crew to take you on a night snorkel and you will see this. We have, many times.  Aside from the few “major” islands, the charm of this place is the countless little crumbs of cays sprinkled all around ringed with colorful and pristine coral reefs. And most all are in sight of each other. You are challenged to name and count all the different shades of blue you will see in the waters of the Virgin Islands. And the colorful fish!!  you will spend quite a bit of time trying to identify those seen while you scuba dive or snorkel. It goes like this:  “It was blue, had a yellow stripe through it’s eye, and black fins, and it was......” All Fish I.D. books are well thumbed.  We recommend this book for your nature study library: Paul Humann Reef Fish Identification These are just some of the natural wonders you will encounter as you move from one place of beauty to another, of course, on your Charteryacht with your professional crew. There is so much more to see and do.   _____________________________________________________ To sum it up, you would have to look long and hard for another destination which offers you so much to see and do all in one very tightly knit group of tropical islands. Access is easy, people are more than friendly, inter-island transportation is frequent and reliable, weather is wonderful and abundant foods are a combination of exotic and familiar. As so many before you have discovered, this is indeed a very special place comprised of Nature’s Little Secrets, and America’s Paradise and it waits for you.  You will come back again and again....We stayed for more than 10 years!  Please visit our site HERE for much more information

New Super Easy Way to Find your Caribbean Yacht Charter

We’re so excited.....We’re jumping for joy!!

Come on in….FIND YOUR FUN!

We are Caribbean Crewed Yacht charter specialists for the Virgin Islands, both the US and BVI, the Bahamas, St. Maarten and surrounding islands and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Presented by www.slipaweighcharters.com

We do so hope you enjoy all the new and exciting features of our website to help you find the perfect

All-Inclusive Caribbean Charter Vacation

which will fulfill all your dreams!

·         First timer?  Everyone is a First Timer once. Take a look here at what this vacation is all about. Like so many of our clients: Once you experience this “yacht chartering” personalized vacation, you’ll come back again and again.  

·         Easy Searching: We now offer an interactive search for Monohulls, Catamarans and Motoryachts to make it easier for you to browse the more than 300 yachts we offer for chartering.  You can adjust the number of persons on board and the pricing ranges by clicking on the top of the columns. And we have featured many of our favorites on the yacht’s pages! Click HERE to start your search.

·         Quick help you  with your Advance Planning. We’re here to make it all so easy.  Here is a quick link to Planning Tips.

·         What to do and Where? See our highlights of some of the many things to do and see and just where to do that. Swim with wild dolphins. Go deep sea or shallow water fishing….swim with manta and eagle rays….Bird watch, whale watch….snorkel and SCUBA dive. As an example,  Here is a quick link to What to Do in the Virgin Islands. All the islands offer so many different awesome opportunities.

·         Where to go and When: Check out our sample custom itineraries for some of our very favorite Yachting Destinations in the Caribbean! Always flexible to cater to your wishes and preferences, of course.

·         Kids on Yachts: We have created a specific Kids page highlighting some of our favorite Charter Yachts for your children and of course, "kids" of all ages! A very few yachts have any animals on board, but when they do, they are so cute! Your kids will love this one!  

 If no doggie? There’s a ton of other stuff for kids to play with. Take a look at the Kids’ page Here. 

·         And a page for Honeymooners! The islands of the Caribbean are right on top for Destination Weddings and a Honeymoon charter is the best! Here is a quick link to this page.

·         For the Eco-charterer,   we have highlighted the Natural World above and below the water of the US and British Virgin Islands (BVI).  You will find the whole natural world of the Caribbean suited to this wonderful vacation option. All at your own pace.

·         FAQ’s: Please review the comprehensive information here for all sorts of tips and planning assistance. Here is a quick link to this page for all kinds of help

Once you’ve had a chance to browse some of our yachts for charter, we look forward to talking with you to find the perfect tropical yachting vacation totally custom designed just for you!

WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU ABOARD!

 Give us a call. The yachts are waiting for you!

“TAILS” (and Fur and Feathers) FROM THE FAMOUS NECKER ISLAND in the BVI. Wouldn't you like to visit?

My Story of Necker Island 

When I was first in the charter yacht business in the early ‘90s, how many times did I sail past the beautiful island of Necker? It was said, "It's private, you can't go"…..And one day, one day I took the dinghy from North Sound, Virgin Gorda and, simply, went. I was compelled by the sparkling white beaches and the aura of mystery. Although the land on the island is entirely privately owned, under British Virgin Islands law, all beaches up to the high-water mark are Crown land, and are open to the public. 

So, I went….just to see. I must admit, I didn’t feel comfortable so I stayed close to the edge of the water.  No one challenged me, and I witnessed great, quiet beauty. I saw..............no one. I stayed for a little bit, sniffed the air, and said........I want to go here!! And see more, here!

North Sound area, Virgin Gorda BVI with Gorda Peak in the background.

Here can be found many places to explore and enjoy. There is unparalleled snorkeling to experience, several little restaurants to savor, hiking trails all around especially up to the top of Gorda Peak with views that are unsurpassed. You can visit Pusser’s Leverick Bay, Biras Creek resort, the Saba Rock resort,  the Fat Virgin Café and of course, the famous Bitter End Yacht Club which plays host to several regattas and other events throughout the year. Kite and wind surfing is very popular here as well. In fact, you can try your hand in the steady Easterly trade winds of the wide open Sound. 

School of Blue Tang, Eustatia Reef, Virgin Gorda BVI

Sir Richard Branson 
Name ring a bell? Here's his story of his love affair with this island (and his wife, too!) 

http://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/my-story-of-necker-island 

The island was named after the 17th-century Dutch squadron commander Johannes de Neckere, although it remained uninhabited and virtually undeveloped until the late 20th century.

At the tender age of 28, not long after starting his Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson first became aware that some of the islands in the British Virgin Islands were for sale in 1978. He promptly went to the British Virgin Islands for a holiday to investigate the prospective real estate. On first observing the islands, he envisioned using them to house rock stars performing under his record label. Upon arrival, they were given a luxury villa and traveled around the islands for sale by helicopter. The final island he saw was Necker Island, and after climbing the hill and being stunned by the view and wildlife, fell in love with the island...and made it his own.

And from that time on, everything changed....

Not only has this island hosted heads of state, Princesses and Princess, A-list movie stars and famous performers of all ilk, but now...now, Sir Richard has a plan. A plan which includes his passion for reintroducing the native wildlife, long wiped out by aggressive hunting and other reasons. He's also passionately involved with saving endangered wildlife, anything that might thrive in the climate of the British Virgin Islands.

Now, it's possible to go and see and visit and interact with these lovely creatures on a pre-planned guided tour. Here's just a little of what you will see:

Scarlet ibis, white ibis and spoonbills, clouds of which used to inhabit this and many other islands in this part of the Caribbean Sea.

A large flock of flamingos....Yes, they are historically native here and now can be found in the BVI and also on Anegada, BVI where they are breeding successfully thanks to the efforts of this man and others.

Not content enough to stop there, Sir Richard hosts native soldier crabs and iguanas and the local and famous red-footed tortoise with more newcomers joining the party. And some of the newcomers are part of a conservation effort. Sir Richard Branson has teamed up with The Turtle Conservancy  to help keep the species alive. The new arrivals will join their existing herd of endangered giant Indian Ocean Aldabra Tortoises and Red Footed Tortoises on Necker.

Lemurs, you say??? But...they're not native to the Virgin Islands.

Right. But they are seriously endangered in their native land of Madagasgar. Sir Richard is concerned about all species' ability to survive and is hard at work trying to help.

Here's one of my favorite charter skippers from Majestic Spirit, Capt. Dave, playing with a few of these little charmers. Wouldn't you want to do this too?

Well, as you can see, times have changed. 

Through prior arrangement and schedule permitting, now anyone can go visit this magical place. This young man, one of Sir Richard's entrepreneurs, is conducting tours of this island. His name is Gumption and he surely has that! In addition to tours of Necker Island BVI, he also conducts sea life tours, night and day, on his glass bottom boat over the surrounding reefs. Of course, on your charter yacht with your crew, you also can do just that. As much as you want to.

(Please note: Land/wildlife tours are subject to schedule permitting and if guests have secured the whole island of Necker for their private holiday it will not be possible to go. Your charter skipper will contact Gumption to inquire if there is an opening for you to visit.

Tours range in pricing from $90 for adults to $60 for children. Extras might include $20/pp for the enclosure tour where the lemurs live.) 

  So what are you waiting for? Finally, you can visit this wonderful place once off limits to all but the island's owners and privileged guests. Now you can add this amazing experience to your life of adventure.

Get in touch with me and I'll put this together for you!!